Research source
AI found heart tissue patterns linked to smoking in CT images before visible changes appeared.
Based on Analysis of Myocardial Textures in Relation to Nicotine Abuse Using Radiomics in Cardiac PCCT.
Published by Tomography (Ann Arbor, Mich.)Jun 1, 2026
Peer-reviewed paperMedium evidenceHuman study
What researchers observed
This study showed that AI using PCCT radiomics moderately distinguished smokers from non-smokers by heart tissue patterns.
What this could mean
This could help researchers find subtle heart tissue changes from smoking earlier and design better studies to confirm these findings across more patients.
What researchers still need to learn
Researchers still need to learn whether these AI-detected features predict heart disease or improve patient outcomes.